Finally Inspired

Over the past two months following Twin Cities marathon, I have been running completely uninspired. I don't have a goal on the horizon and have been struggling with a couple nagging injuries. The cold weather and short days don't help either. Today however was a big day. I'm anticipating huge changes from this day forward. My running will soon be resurrected by the purchase of two new items. This is pretty typical for me and somewhat depressing where I need to buy something to spark my interest and motivate me to run. These two new products however are going to change me entirely.

I am a frequent visitor to Bronco Billy's blog. He has been transitioning to minimalist running over the past several weeks. While I don't share the same goal, to become a minimalist runner, I do believe that there is value in running technique and strengthening that goes along with the transition. That being said, purchase #1 today was a slick new pair of vibram five fingers. I went with the black ones. Can't say it was love at first site or feel. There certainly are no style points with these things and I actually struggled to get my deformed toes in the nice little toe shoots. Once they were in, I suppose they felt ok. I ran on the treadmill at FZ for a 1/4 mile or so and decided to purchase them. This evening I did a 1 mile cool down run in them on the snow and ice. Have to say they kind of hurt my feet, but I have extremely wimpy feet from years of coddling. Other than that, it was fun. I look forward to putting in more miles with them. Hopefully can work up to a 10k over the next few weeks. I already run in racing flats quite a bit so I think the transition should go fairly rapid. Just hope my Achilles' hang in there.

My second purchase today was a pair of compression calf sleeves. I wore them around a bit today but think I might have to get a size smaller. I'll report back after I've run in them a couple times. I did receive a pair of compression stockings this year for Christmas and have been using them regularly for post run recovery. I wore them all day at work yesterday and have to say my Achilles felt better than it has in a long time. Probably a placebo effect but it sure was nice not having pain. I think adding calf compression to my running is going to be huge.

I did also purchase a hat today, which is fun to have but not all that inspiring.

So, I now have something to do. Over the next 4 weeks of winter, before I start picking up my training, I plan to strengthen my feet and work on my form in the context of breaking in my vibram five fingers. Should be fun and hopefully inspiring. Perhaps it will even help my injuries.

2009 Year in Review

As 2009 comes to an end, it's always fun to reflect on the year in running. This year was once again a lot of fun. What a great running community we have here in Bend. I feel fortunate to have two quality running stores in town that keep us all appropriately "shoed" and active. I also feel fortunate to run with the quality group of runners that gathers each Tuesday at TPG. Many help to push me, while others are just flat out inspiring. Ryan "Hobbit" Rein in Mercer Island is a nice extended addition to the community and always keeps me motivated with his hobbitude. Overall a great group of people. That being said...

The year began with a major decision...do I hire a coach or not? If so, who should I hire? Well it ultimately came down to two individuals, Alberto Salazar and Andy Martin. After I looked at their credentials, it was no contest, Martin had a far superior resume. After all, Martin could boast of victories at the Light of hope 5k and Flying Pig Marathon. He also holds course records at Horse Butte and Dirty Half. What has Salazar done lately? Nothing. Welcome aboard Andy Martin.

I set out some goals with my newly hired coach. 1. Sub 6:00 pace at Dirty Half, 2. Win Haulin Aspen Marathon with new course record, 3. New PR in the marathon, low 2:30's acceptable, sub 2:30 ideal.

Seemed simple enough. We got to work early. Typically I like to challenge myself by being lazy until 2-3 weeks before Dirty Half and then start running a bunch of tempos. This year was different. My coach brought to my attention a new word...Consistency. I had to look it up. Never really struck a cord with me before. Nonetheless, I began logging consistent miles each week, gradually building up until the week before Dirty Half, then actually tapered. Well the philosophy worked. I ran a 1:18:00, good enough for a 5:57 pace and accomplishment of goal #1. Ideally I would have liked to win the race but Santiago Ocariz came out of nowhere to kick my butt in his star spangled shorts.On to goal #2. My training continued. Martin kept preaching consistency. I kept following his instructions. Before long I was logging 70-80 mile weeks, incorporating track work, tempo runs and long runs into the mix. There was a brief detour in training to run the Cascade Lakes Relay, one of my favorite events. It's always fun to get together with this group. We once again won by several hours, and most importantly had a blast. Shortly after CLR I began my fine tuning for the Haulin Aspen Marathon, including a couple of runs on the upper section. I admittedly unleashed some profanity my first time on the course, as I breached the 5th false summit on the everlasting climb to the radio tower. I repented and moved on. Ultimately it helped prepare me for the race, which I won with a new course record of 2:51. Goal #2 accomplished.

On to goal #3, the toughest of the group, a sub 2:30 marathon, or somewhere close to that. I selected the Twin Cities Marathon as the designated course, as it serves as the national masters road marathon championships, in which I am hoping to compete in 2010. The build up to the race was, well... consistent. I was able to peak out at 90+ miles per week with many quality miles. I never could get over Achilles tendonopathy, so embraced it and decided to enjoy my time with it. For the first 2-3 miles on every run, it was just me and my aching Achilles tendon. It had my full attention. Gradually it would demand less of me and by mile 4 or so I would be feeling pretty good and finish up strong. Later my other Achilles decided it also needed some attention, now I split time equally between the two.

The trip back to Minneapolis was awesome. There was a cool group of Central Oregonians and Washingtonians that met up at the race, making for a good time. The race went well for me with a 2:31:12 finish, a new PR. Not quite the sub 2:30 I was initially hoping for but definitely a step in the right direction.



Post race has been met with injury fury. Bilateral Achilles tendonopathy and left foot extensor hallicus longus tendonitis has knocked me down, but I'm slowly crawling back. Next year I turn 40 and have big plans for the master's division. I'm just hoping I can get my body to buy in to the program.

2009 Awards

Best Memory: Cascade Lakes Relay. How could you not relish heat exhaustion and dehydration followed by a sleepless night and an early morning tempo run with a belly ache. This year we added a couple new faces to the guy's van in James and Teague. Both were awesome to have aboard. Nice job to Cindy too, seamlessly stepping in for Cory. Michael's speedoman costume topped off the weekend. Look forward to next year.



Best Race: Twin Cities Marathon. New PR, cool course, fun group and lots of meals at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Enough said.

Most Disappointing: Unfortunately this award goes to my wife. She was running awesome, claiming victory in the Dirty Half and crushing her CLR legs, but was ultimately brought down by injury. Darn plantar fasciitis. She stoically ran hard in the Xterra Nationals and placed well but did not have an opportunity to fulfill her potential. She does win an additional award for most diligent rehab. I have been living with a wife who stretches her calves and massages her foot nonstop. Cooking, working, cleaning, putting the kids down, lounging, doesn't matter. My calves and feet feel better just being around her. Let's just hope persistence pays off and she can run pain-free next year. The marathon Olympic trials are waiting.




Most Improved: Toss-up between Teague Hatfield and Dave Webster. Both were very impressive in 2009. I'm still wowed by Dave's 2:57 marathon and second place age group finish at CIM. Teague on the other hand kicked butt at the TPG workouts, ran a solid PR at the Dirty Half, and held his own anchoring our CLR team. I can't decide. Maybe Teague wins and Dave gets Most Inspirational. We'll let the fans vote on this one.










Most Valuable: Male: Max won the most money this year so literally he is the most valuable. He also ran a bunch of fast races, claiming victory in just about all of them...except NYC. Still a 2:19 marathon at NYC is quite impressive. Way to go Max. Others receiving votes- Sean Meissner- multiple first place visits at marathon and ultra distance including victory at the Canadian Death Race, crushing cover boy Dean Karnazes. Santi Ocariz- the young nordic skier who should convert to full time runner. He was impressive at the 1/2 marathon distance winning the coveted Dirty Half and beating a stacked field in the Haulin Aspen. Female: Kami Semick. USATF agrees with this, and who could possibly refute it.

2010 goals

• 1st place master's division at national trail 1/2 marathon championships (only if run on the Dirty Half course)
• Top 5 at the master's national road marathon championships- Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, Minneapolis
• 1st place master's division at national trail marathon championships- Lithia Loop, Ashland
• Marathon Olympic qualifying time for Katie
• Finish trans Rockies stage race. Top 3 finish in coed or master's depending on division entered.
• Marathon PR
• Run an ultra, probably 50k, win the master's division, beat Meissner if he enters the race.
• Get over my Achilles injuries and run pain free!

Look forward to toeing the line with you all in 2010.

Races and Runners World

During this time of year as my body recovers from months of running abuse, I marvel in those who are still training and competing. Over the weekend there were two huge performances by Bendites. I don't have details of either race, but was able to see that Dave Webster ran a 2:57:27 at CIM placing second in his 55-59 age group, and Max King repeated as Xterra World Champion. Nice job to both! Look forward to hearing how the races went down.

On a different note, a funny thing happened the other day. I sat down late in the evening and opened up my new copy of Runners World Jan 2010. I read the articles that interested me, then as per norm, flipped through and looked at all the pictures. I for no great reason viewed a picture on p.96 in a bit more detail. Low and behold, there was Sean Meissner wearing his traditional OUTLAWS singlet and red racing shorts. I thought to myself, that SOB just made it in Runners World. I showed my wife, who muttered something out of jealousy I can't repeat, and kept flipping through the magazine. I then came across this bizarre overhead, wide lens photo of a race start on p66-67. I recognized one of the racers as Michael Wardian and then tried to figure out what race it was. It then clicked that it was the start of the Twin Cities marathon. I knew where I was positioned at the race start and began my Where's Waldo search for myself. Well it just so happens that the lens was just wide enough to capture me, literally on the edge of the page wearing my Rebound singlet. I was then able to find the back of Andy Martin and Ryan Rein's face, who also just snuck in on the edge of the page. A RW debut none the less!

As for my running, I'm back! Sort of. I have been able to run 5 consecutive days with a max run of 6 miles. Still pretty sore but no worse than when I wasn't running. I'll be happy if I can run 30-40 mpw over the winter and then pick it up in February/March. Perhaps a spring marathon is in order... Eugene? Until then I'll let my kids do the racing. Here are a couple pics from the Jingle Bell Run.

Injuries-You spin me round

For those of you who suffered through 80's FM radio like me, I'm sure you recall Dead or Alive's hit, You Spin Me Round. If not, I have posted the somewhat disturbing video of the freakshow artist below for a refresher. Essentially that is what my life has come to. I have become that song (Note I didn't say singer). It is implanted in my head and I can't escape it. After limping home from a run 10 days ago, I was forced to set the running shoes aside and jump on a bike. Given the short daylight hours, most of my riding has been on a spin bike. I spin in the morning, I spin at night. I spin here, I spin there, I spin everywhere. The other day Katie asked me how my workout was. After some brief pondering, I realized it was just like every other spin workout. Sweaty and boring. Only the music changes. If nothing else, it has really made me appreciate what a gift it is to run. Heck, I even long for the treadmill, which sits right next to my spin bike. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING beats running. Andy and I have had a couple of great mt bike/cross rides the past week which I am thankful for, but it still doesn't compare. For now, the plan is to take a full three weeks off of running then reassess the damage. I'll keep working on my core and try to stay fit with the bike. Hopefully Chris Vergona can work a miracle with my Achilles and foot tendonitis. Never knew massage could be so painful.

On the positive side, Katie is doing much better and seems to be getting back into midseason form. Her plantar fasciitis is still there but currently managable. She is looking forward to kicking some Thanksgiving butt at the COCC Turkey Trott this weekend and then the Girls on the Run race Thanksgiving day. It's great to see her running again!

Me, think I'll just watch the kids and maybe go for a spin.

Looking forward to brighter days. Until then, You spin me round.




Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)
Uploaded by trashfan. - Explore more music videos.

Twin Cities Recap

Man, these blogs are hard to keep up on. Where does the time go? Can't believe it's already been 2 1/2 weeks since Twin Cities. Guess it has given me adequate time to reflect on the race.

In looking back, I'm really pleased with my training and quite happy with my race. My body hung on just long enough to accomplish the goal I set last year following the CIM (sub 2:33). It's funny looking back to that post, as Martin suggested I would need a coach to accomplish my goal. As much as I hate to admit it, I think he was right.

For those who haven't run Twin Cities, do it. Aside from New York and Boston, it's the next best road marathon I have run. I'd be surprised if there are too many other US road marathons out there that are as cool. I suppose Chicago ranks up there. Before the trip, I actually wasn't too stoked to go run it. In my mind there was nothing appealing about Minneapolis/St. Paul. After spending some time there, I realized it's a pretty cool place. Thanks to Ryan's Iphone (aka the Ry-phone) we were able to find our way around town and eat at some pretty good restaurants. Matter of fact, just about the best breakfast I have ever eaten was randomly found on the Ry-phone. Have to get me one of those. When is AT&T coming to Bend anyway?

Race day itself was just about perfect. Upper 40's-low 50's, slight overcast and fairly mild winds (except miles 16-19). Our hotel was a nice 0.5 mile jog to the start line, which served as a nice warm up. I then for the first time in my life, entered the elite corral. It was a little strange warming up with the elites, knowing I really shouldn't be there, but nothing I couldn't get used to. After a few strides, it was time to line up. I wasn't really that nervous, but more curious how my race would play out.

When the start gun went off, I tried to control my pace as there were so many fast runners around me. As with all races, it seems like you take off in a dead sprint, dodging people and potholes. After 1/4 mile I was able to lock into a steady pace, concentrate on my breathing, and get in a rhythm. That's just about the time a small gap opened up in front of me, and I realized I was right on Andy Martin's heels. Darn, so much for controlling my first mile. Either Andy was going too slow or I was going too fast. I decided to back off a bit and actually hit my first split right at 5:40, which I was fine with. It took another couple miles to really get into a groove, and I began clicking miles off around 5:40-5:50 fairly comfortably. By this time Andy was no longer in sight, which was also reassuring.

It was probably around mile 4 when another runner came upon me. I thought it would be a good idea to go with him for the next mile and catch the pack of runners 20 meters ahead of me. We hit the next split at 5:20 pace, which concerned me a bit. I figured I would pay for that mile down the road. I once again backed off, but not by much, and hit the next mile at 6:00 pace, which confused me. I then realized they mismarked those two miles, so I was still on pace. Around mile 6-7, I started feeling lousy. I began thinking of noble ways to drop out of the race. I had plenty of pre-race injuries I could fall back on if necessary. That's when I saw Katie, and by the look on her face, I knew I not only felt bad, but looked bad.

Nonetheless, I hung on to the pack of runners I was with. They were all chatting away, effortlessly running along, while I somewhat desperately clung to the back of the back. I figured it was a matter of time before I was dropped. I was right. By mile 9, the pack split up. I was still running with one or two guys and still on 5:40 pace. I hit my half marathon right around 1:14:20, which was a little fast, but not too far off of what I was hoping. I powered through a couple more miles, now starting to catch some of runners who took off a little too fast. I felt strong, continued on pace, but was working much harder than I usually do. The course then turned north along the Mississippi River and out of nowhere, a headwind kicked in. It probably wasn't more than 5 mph, but was just enough to put the hurt on me. I lost a little time miles 16-19, probably averaging around a 5:50 pace. I knew the course turned 180 degrees at mile 19, so I was just waiting for the tailwind to kick in. As I hit mile 19, the wind seemed a lot less forceful at my back, but at least it wasn't in my face anymore.

Miles 20-23 are the crux of this marathon. There is a series of hills, which on any ordinary run wouldn't seem like much, but at this point in the marathon, seemed like Pilot Butte. This is where I lost most of my time, averaging around a 6:00 pace. I encountered tons of carnage along this stretch. I recognized several of the slowing runners from the pack I ran with near the beginning of the race. Couldn't help but smile to myself as I passed every single one of them. Every so often I would get a little surge of energy which would only last a minute or so, but helped to keep me going. I was still worried with 3 miles to go I would end up bonking somewhere before the finish. I had a couple spells of lightheadedness here and there, but a Power Gel seemed to put them at rest. Over the last 2 miles I could hear the cheers from the fans behind me as the first place woman was kicking it in to the finish. I knew she wasn't far back and figured it was a matter of time before she came ripping past me. Admittedly this did help to motivate me, and I finished my last three miles close to a 5:40 pace, crossing the line at 2:31:12, edging out the first place woman by 35 seconds or so. Then I realized she just won over $25,000 and I didn't win jack. At least I kept my pride.

All in all, a great race. Had fun with the group who made the trip back. Look forward to running this race again next year.

Twin Cities Results

I'll blog more about this soon, but for now just wanted to post some official results from the TC Marathon and 10 mile. In summary, it was a good weekend for our group.

10 Mile

Max King 47:58 6th overall

Bree Ray 1:02:00- 9th overall female

Marathon

Andy Martin 2:25:46- 23rd overall

Jeff Caba 2:31:12- 28th overall

Ryan Rein 2:53:24- 173rd overall

Susannah Beck 2:43:15- 2nd master's female...olympic trials qualifier!

Kami Semick 2:47:10- 6th master's female

Great job to all!

Taper week defined

Taper week: (Tay-pur week) Noun

Def: The week leading up to a race where the runner develops illness, phantom pains and progressive injury. A week where his legs feel like tubes of concrete and lungs feel deprived of oxygen. Where heart rate escalates above anything he has experienced in training. Where appetite is maxed and work load decreased. Where a lock needs to be put on the fridge and pantry to avoid eating the entire household food supply. Where weight gain is inevitable. A week where the runner forgets about the hundreds of hours and miles he has put in and only focusses on how crummy he currently feels. Where the runner worries incessantly about the race forecast. Where sleep is reduced to mini naps throughout the night as the mind obsesses about the race.



At least that defines my taper week thus far.



Hopefully things will look up. For now, I am having trouble explaining why I feel so lousy. I

guess all I need is one good day, Sunday. The rest of the week doesn't matter. As many have told me, "the hay's in the barn." Time now to focus on the mental aspect, which is fooling myself into thinking I can run a sub 2:30:00. I actually have somewhat readjusted my goal and will be happy with a new PR (sub 2:36:00). The closer to 2:30:00 the better.

Man I'm hungry. Time to go eat something.

jc

Bigfoot/Littlefoot 2009

The last day or two have been a bit rough. I've had some nausea and dizziness and was not quite sure how I'd feel today. I rolled out of bed at 7 AM, put on a pot of coffee and hoped the caffeine would be enough to get me going. Andy Martin showed up at my house at 8AM to run to the start of the Bigfoot 10k, approximately 3.5 miles up the road. After struggling to run 8 minute pace on the way out, I checked my pulse and was concerned that it was already running in the low 150's. Typically I am closer to a 6 minute pace with that HR. I figured I was in a bit of trouble for the race. I nonetheless went through some prerace strides and stretches, then with little warning, SuperDave started the race and we were off. I quickly took my spot in second place behind Martin, running the first mile at 4:59. I wasn't certain who was with me, but I heard some footsteps close behind that I think belonged to Brian Gingerich. Mile 2, a gradual uphill, is where I thought for a moment about trying to close the gap with Martin. After picking it up for a few strides, I realized it was a poor decision. I settled back into my pace and crossed mile 2 at 10:29. The course flattens out for the next 2-3 miles and I was able to run fairly consistently in the 5:15-5:19 range. This kept me safely in second place. I wanted to run sub 33:00 for the race and by mile 5 I was pretty close to pace. I pushed the last 1.2 miles and was able to finish in 32:46, a new PR and good enough for second place. Martin was best in show today and was appropriately awarded the big blue ribbon. I got the little blue ribbon for age group winner.

The cool thing about finishing the race towards the top is that you get to watch the other racers finish. I'm always impressed by the grit that everyone has as they approach the finish line. Props to all Bigfoot finishers today. Also props to the Ray family, who traveled from Medford to race today. We had the pleasure of hosting them for a night. Bree, Mercy and Suzanne all rocked the course. Nice job.

As much fun as the Bigfoot was, the highlight of the day was the Littlefoot 1K. I love watching the kids run. Today there was a strong showing from the Martins, Cabas, Altmans, and Dennis family. Martin claimed a "family victory," although that claim is being hotly contested by the Cabas. Here's how the race(s) broke down. Andy and Miles defeated Jeff and Grant. Abe crushed Nate (as did Grant), and Charlie and Ben tied. It would appear the Martins would indeed be the winners if we went on head to head competition based on age. However if we spin the race a little and base it on total time, the Cabas could claim victory as Abe's gap on Nate easily put the Cabas out front. Plus Miles cheated and I have it on video.

Not that we're competitive families. After all it was just a fun run.

All night I have been attempting to publish a video of the event, but something on this website isn't connecting. In the meantime, here are a few of the still shots. The kids had a blast and ran hard. They all earned ribbons, which, like everything else they collect, wound up on the floor of the car.

After the events, I cooled down with Andy and Michael Dennis on a nice, relaxing 13 mile trail run. That gave me 23 miles for the day. That should be my last 20+ day before Twin Cities in two weeks. We'll see if I can get over my nagging injuries and get speed back into my legs. Still hoping for sub 2:30:00.

Caba Running Update

The four week countdown to Twin Cities marathon begins tomorrow. That means a couple more weeks of hard training followed by some recovery. The past few weeks of training have been challenging. Following a week of recovery after the Haulin Aspen marathon, my training picked back up. I was able to put in 91 miles two weeks ago but slipped a little last week putting in 71. We were on vacation in Hawaii however and I didn't want to spend the entire time running and recovering. The positive side is, I was able to run just about every day, most days twice. As a result, I drank fewer mai tai's and a lot less beer than I had anticipated. As the picture shows, I also didn't spend a lot of time sunbathing.
My legs have continued to feel really fatigued ever since the Haulin Aspen marathon, but I'm hopeful things are changing. I was finally able to hit a workout this week while feeling strong. Over the previous two weeks I have struggled with all of my speed work, laboring through each workout. This week I completed a 10 mile treadmill workout averaging a 5:38 pace. Now I just have to figure out how to run close to that pace for 26.2 miles. I'm optimistic my training will push me towards a new marathon PR, but at times I think it's crazy to shoot for a sub 2:30 (5:43 pace). I'm considering readjusting my goal to a sub 2:33:00.

More importantly however is the progress with Katie's foot! She has had miserable plantar fasciitis for months, progressing to the point where she has been unable to run. Over the past 24 hours, she has felt a dramatic improvement giving her new hope. In fact, she just completed a 6 mile run, which is her first in the past two weeks. She has been disciplined about cross training though, so hopefully her fitness will be there when she picks up the miles. If she can get a few more speed workouts and long runs in, I think her confidence will pick back up and we'll see her flying across the finish line sub 2:50.

Next up for Katie is the Xterra 21k national championships here in Bend. She should finish well if her foot behaves. Next up for me is the Bigfoot 10k. I would like to run sub 33:00. Most importantly though is I have to kick Meissner's butt as he has been dishing it out a bit. We'll see what happens.

Soda Creek/ Green Lakes Assault

If you ever want to feel slow and out of shape, I have the perfect outing for you. Invite Max King and Andy Martin along for a tempo run on the Soda Creek Trail/ Green Lakes loop. This was actually Andy's idea, and I think I was brought along for one of three reasons: 1) Give them someone to drop, 2) Make certain I know I only won Haulin A because they didn't enter, or 3) Cougar bait.

The three of us headed out at 7AM, chauffeured to the trail head by Andy in his new (used) Mercedes, which has been rightfully nicknamed Princess. Little did I know the ride up would be the last time I would see these guys until the ride back down. Also it would be the last time I would have enough air to speak a full sentence. After a couple of minutes of stretching at the trail head, it was on. Martin took off like a 100m sprinter. Max insisted I follow, which meant not only did I have the pressure of keeping up with Martin, I also had Max on my heels. The first two miles went quick. My heart rate monitor was flipping out because my heart was beating through my chest. I think it was measuring each beat and the lasting vibrations/aftershocks from the beat. At first I wrote off the 186 as a fictitious read, but after two miles unchanged I started to believe it. Then all of a sudden, my legs became deprived of oxygen. Uh oh, we're only two miles into this 13 mile loop. At this point I stepped off the trail and encouraged Max to continue on by. At first he declined, but a few minutes later when he realized I was essentially running in place, he decided to go on through. I eventually reached mile three- 9:40 pace. This was 2:40 slower than my first two miles. Granted the hills got a bit steeper but still, it was like a punch in the gut. I figured now I was going to have to resort to survival mode. I trudged along putting forth a good effort, but comfortably within my limits. I began to ponder about all the possibilities for my abrupt collapse. Thyroid? Anemia? Sinus infection? Tired legs from last week's marathon? They all had merit. Eventually mile 4 passed and I was sub 9:00! Miles 5-8 were a bit better as the terrain flattened out giving me a little reprieve. I eventually reached the turn around at Green Lakes at 1:01:13, nearly 4 minutes after "the others," who kindly waited for me.

After knocking down a gel, it was time to finish up the run. Before the outing started, the goal was to break 1:30:00. This gave me 28:47 to complete somewhere around 4.5-5 miles. They let me lead the way down, I think so they could pass me again. We took off fast, hitting the first two miles at 5:44 avg pace. I once again stepped aside to let them pass and we finished up the last 2-3 at about the same pace. My final time was 1:27:39. "The others" finished in 1:23:44. I did take the liberty to age adjust our times, hoping it would help me out, but I still took last... Andy 1:23:24, Max 1:23:44, Jeff 1:24:48.

The good part of this run is that it was a PR for me. It was awesome to get up in the mountains and hit the trail hard with these guys. The bad, I ran a beautiful 13 mile loop and paid more attention to the rocks, tree roots and horse poop than I did the awesome mountain setting, beautiful lakes and tumbling creek. Overall, it was a great day though. I'm incredibly thankful to have these spectacular trails to run and fortunate to have great people to run them with.

Haulin A at Haulin Aspen

Another race in the books, this one with a happy ending. My first victory on home soil in a race not categorized as a trot (I won the Turkey trot in 2008, which was my first ever victory in Bend).

Well today I wasn't stellar but had a pretty good race. I was able to finish the difficult course (2500 ft elevation gain) in 2:51:19 and actually set a course record, which I'm pretty certain will last until next year when it is broken. Timewise I had hoped to break the 3 hour barrier as it hadn't been done before, and ultimately had hoped to run a sub 2:55:00. I accomplished both, but was a bit disappointed how lousy I felt the last 4-5 miles. I had this vision in my head I would be charging towards the finish line over the downhill and flats, but somewhere around mile 20-21 my quads disagreed with the plan. I started to worry the second place runner was going to swallow me up, but apparently he was also hurting a bit.

The race actually started great. My legs felt nice and fresh and I was able to run a relaxed pace while distancing myself from the field. I thought I had a huge lead on the pack only to realize at mile 12 that someone was only 1-2 minutes back. I caught a glimpse of him on the massive mile 12 hill climb and was convinced he was catching me. I didn't panic though and continued to run as relaxed as possible up the hill. For those who haven't experienced this hill, it is punishing. I whined about it in an earlier post and I will whine about it again in this post. I fortunately today was ready for the multiple false summits and kept plugging away, trying to save something in my legs for the downhill portion. When I reached the top, I was able to change gears and start running some decent miles. I did have a quick spill at the mile 14 aid station, but was able to get back up with only a few scrapes on my hand and leg. Really the next 6 miles of single track were great. I knew I was in for it however because any little rise in the terrain fatigued my quads. By 20-21 the lactic acid set in and even the sharp turns began to bother my legs a bit. I had a little reprieve when I came upon the half marathoners. It at least made me feel fast again as I passed the walkers. Then the fast half-marthoners, Santi, Jeff Matson, and Martin flew by me making me feel slow again. I normally am able to fly down the technical rock section, but today I was slow. Just ask Santi, who I had to pull off the trail for so he could pass me. As each half marathoner passed me, I made certain to check there were no marathoners on my heels. Even though each told me nobody was in sight, I couldn't convince myself of it, so kept pushing on. Eventually I reached the flats and labored through the park for a couple miles before seeing my family, which gave me energy for about 5 seconds. I knew I was close to the finish by that time and that I had enough in the tank to not get passed. I eased up so I could look nice and fresh for my finish line photo and smiled as I crossed the line.

After the race Andy and I were able to enjoy a soak in Tumalo Creek. I swear that can't be much over 32 degrees. As a huge bonus, my sister in law Jeannie and her husband Shay watched our kids for a few hours so I was able to rest while Katie went on a 3 hour run at Tumalo Falls. I actually feel pretty good right now. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Coach Andy has given me a light recovery week before we get back on it. By the way, a little plug for Andy. If anyone is considering a coach, Andy is really good and I would highly recommend him.

jc

Cascade Lakes Relay

CLR 2009 is in the books. Once again, an instant classic. I really seem to enjoy this race. I'm definitely paying for it today though. I can hardly stay awake to write this blog. Having van#2 full of fast ladies definitely has its consequences. On the other hand, it's always fun to win a race!

This year added the new challenge of heat. We were welcomed into the race by mother nature's version of hell. I don't know what the official max temp was, but I think we could build a case for triple digits.

Lets just dissect this picture for a moment:

Note the smoldering heat waves in the background along this unprotected stretch of pavement. This fit athlete is suffering to complete a 7.5 mile, gradual downhill run. If you were to zoom in on him, you would note his skin is bone dry as he lost his ability to sweat about 2 miles back. He refused a rectal temp after his run, so we'll never know his official core temp, but it was up there. OK, so it was hot. Admittedly it probably taxed us a bit, but it also gave us something to rally around.

The guys were great about supporting each other on the course...and at the same time laughing about how miserable the runner looked while in the van. The heat also made for exceptional middle of the night running. How often do you have the opportunity to run in a singlet in the middle of the night in Central Oregon? Actually I've never been awake to know, but guess that it is rare.

We had first class support from some volunteers at one of our checkpoints. For some reason James seemed to attract most of the support. He was definitely our rock star. After already being groped and nicknamed Mr. Goodbody by a 62 year old woman at the first checkpoint, he was treated like a king. Note Martin also enjoying a fan down by Shay. Heck, I even got fanned and shaded during the interview. Awesome!

It was a sight for sore eyes meeting up with the ladies. We were able to whine and cry to them while they politely listened. I think Jill and Laura were able to enjoy the heat a bit before the sun started to set. The rest of the ladies had awesome twilight running. While they pounded out the miles into Silver Lake, we enjoyed the sunset.

After some time hanging out and a much needed mug of coffee, it was our turn again. The next stretch of running was on dirt and cinder roads. Martin drew the short straw and was dealt the ankle breaking wash board section of road. Aside from James ripping his hamstring, I think the rest of us all enjoyed this section of running. I know I did.

After again meeting with the ladies, who graciously ran in the wee hours of the night, we booked to La Pine with the hope of catching some sleep. We were able to see that we had already caught most of the teams running. We were surprised to see however there was a team way out in front of us. They began the race four hours before us, so we weren't threatened by their overall time, however we hoped to cross the finish line 1st. After a somewhat fruitless attempt at sleep, the phone rang with the ladies on their way. Time to rally again. I was really happy that just hours before, I switched legs with Teague, so now he was running the first leg. He definitely stepped up and ran a nice section. Andy and I ran the next two legs before handing off to Ryan, who was able to take a short break from the Honey Bucket to pound out a 6.1 mile uphill section. This was just a warm up for the real show that took place on the now famous, somewhat tarnished leg 29. Lets just say a picture is worth 1,000 words....
For the truly daring, video of this event is available upon request. Huge kudos to Michael for being a gamer. The Coors Light drinking male volunteers were really impressed.

Well, we gave it our all, but never did catch the group in front of us. The ladies were able to close the gap but ultimately we crossed the line about 10 minutes behind. Nonetheless, another victory in the CLR. What a great experience with a great group of people. Thanks to all my teammates for the good times. Special thanks to Footzone and Rebound for the sponsorships. Look forward to next year.

Just for the sake of updating

Because this has become such a popular blog, now with 5 people reading it, I feel a sense of commitment to update, even if I don't have much to say. If you really want to read something fun, visit Sean Meissner's blog and read how he puked for 50 miles while running Western States.

As for me, training is going well. Fast Forward Andy has me putting in 70+ miles per week with many quality miles. The miles will increase after the Haulin Aspen marathon in 3 weeks as I prepare for Twin Cities in October. Last night Katie and I received an entertaining email from the elite athlete coordinator from Twin Cities in response to our plead to let us into the race. Not only did they grant us each a spot in this year's race, which is full, but they comped our entry and qualified us as elite entrants. We received another email about keeping our schedules open the day before the race for interviews etc. That will be the day! Anyhow, it was a very gracious gesture on their end, and it sets into motion our training plans for the rest of the summer.

Next on tap however is defending our Cascade Lakes Relay title. You never know who will show up, but for now, I think we are the solid favorites. I'm just looking forward to hanging out with our teammates. We all had a blast together last year. As of the date of this post we are searching for another male runner as Mike Condon had to drop due to injury. If you read this and are interested, leave me a comment.

A week after CLR is the Haulin Aspen marathon. I ran what I thought was the upper section of the course the other day and instantly became less excited about the race. What a brutal hill. For those who haven't had the pleasure, it's two miles of horrendous climbing near the top. Not only is it steep, but the footing is poor and there are like 10 false summits. Additionally, this comes after 6 miles of moderate climbing. No wonder 3:00:00 hasn't been broken. Who set this course anyway? We'll see what these aging legs can crank out.

So, if all holds well, Fast Forward Andy will get me trained for a sub 2:30:00 this year at Twin Cities. If I don't, he can consider himself fired. On the other hand, he is one of the five readers of this blog, so maybe I'll keep him. Time will tell.

Dirty Half...Almost Epic

Organizers of the Dirty Half once again put on an amazing race. Thanks to the Footzone crew, volunteers, and all of the sponsors. This race just keeps getting better. Admittedly I was a bit disappointed to not have the stomach for a Down and Dirty IPA after the race, but did enjoy a Taco Stand burrito and Jamba Juice.

As for the actual race, it was almost epic for the Cabas. My wife Katie did her part by cruising to victory in 1:25:27. Her goal was to break 1:26, which she did easily. Her top competitor was to be Lisa Nye, who apparently was sick and wasn't able to race. With Lisa out of the picture, it was Katie vs the clock. Or should I say Katie vs Jeff Browning who battled her the entire way and ended up in an official dead heat. The photo finish showed Browning outleaning Katie at the line. I think Browning was just pacing her to victory, much like he did for Lisa Nye last year. What a gentleman.

As above, I mentioned the race was almost epic. The weather was nice, trail conditions perfect, and legs felt great. Unfortunatley Santi Ocariz showed up and crushed us all. Since the race, as is customary with my neurotic behavior, I have googled Mr. Ocariz to see who this guy was that flew by me, uphill, running a sub 6 minute pace. Turns out he is a nordic skiier for University Wisconsin Green Bay, and also a pretty good runner. All I could dig up was his high school mile time of 4:37. Anyway, he was fit and strong and did a great job posting a 1:17:05.

For me, I was still happy with my 1:18:00 but really wanted to go sub 1:18. Amazing what a difference 1 second makes on your race perspective. I did have a good battle with Mike Condon, Damon Kluck and Nick Miller through 7 miles though. Those guys pushed me hard. I then set my sight on Santi, who I seemed to be reeling in and was within 15 seconds of at mile 8. Come to find out, he had a side stitch that allowed me to gain on him. Once his side stitch resolved at mile 9, he took off again and beat me soundly. Guess I just have to go faster next year.

As for the oddsmaker, he did pretty well with the ladies, but not so well with the men. Top three ladies, Katie Caba, Kristen Riley (1:33:31) and Ahna Jura were all favorites going in and did their job to hold down podium spots. Nice PR for Ahna at 1:34:05. On the men's side, only Caba finished on the podium. Ocariz and Nick Miller (1:18:58) somehow dodged my internet search. They will definitely not be overlooked next year. Nice job guys. Regarding the master's division, there were no surprises with the women, with top honors going to Amy Peterson (1:39:38), followed by Laura Fritz (1:40:56) and Chris Vergona (1:41:48). The men's masters went down totally different than expected. Kevin Hutchins, an apparent ringer from Salem finished first with a 1:23:19, followed by JC Callans (1:25:06) and Jeff Spangler (1:29:10). As for the over/under on Teague Hatfield's quest for 1:30:00, he easily was under with a 1:28:44.

Nice job to all finishers. I talked with many runners following the race. I heard about many new PRs, many off days, some really bad days, but everyone had a good story and another experience to reflect on. Ultimately everyone seemed to have a good time, which is why we do this in the first place.

Now back to training for Cascade Lakes Relay and Haulin Aspen Marathon in August.

Who's in, who's out?

As the Dirty Half approaches, serious questions are swirling. Is Andy Martin's toe really broken? What's all that tape doing on Max King's leg? Are either of them going to run? Is J. Caba really running sub 5 min/mile tempos? Well ladies and gentlemen, the answers are yes, not certain, I don't know, and definitely not. However, Andy unfortunately did reinjure his toe last night, and to say the least won't be 100% if he, shall I say, toes the line. I did also run into Max today at Rebound and he seemed unsure, but leaning towards not. Thing is, even at 50% they would still go 1-2. As for the rest of the heap, I haven't heard of any injuries, and I'm really not in the loop to know if there have been any new additions. In other words, I don't have any useful information to provide. I did find it interesting in my recent blog scan however to find that Sean Meissner just put in approximately 150 miles per week over the past 2 weeks. For those competing with Sean, this can be taken one of two ways. Either he is fit and primed for a stellar race, or he now has massive quads and calves that will demand too much oxygen at a fast pace. Either way, kudos to Sean for his impressive training.

As for the women, I think everything remains the same. I guess they are just tougher.

Look forward to seeing you all at the Dirty Half.

Two Week Countdown

Here we are, just two weeks out from race day. With the loss of Steve, it's taken awhile to get my mind back into training. The memorial service put on by his family and friends was very nice. It was a great tribute to Steve. Personally it helped to provide some much needed closure. It has allowed me to adjust my frame of mind into making every day count. Steve was lucky to have such a loving family and close network of friends.

As for the Dirty Half, I think it's going to be a fast year. Mike Condon continues to show his fitness, most recently winning the Duel in the Desert duathlon, road bike division and also placing high in the PPP with an awesome 1:51:31. Mike Olsen is also breaking out of his winter hibernation and cranking out some fast TPG workouts and showing his multisport skills, winning the Duel's mt bike division over the weekend. Vegas might have underestimated Olsen's fitness level. He might be someone to bet on, if we were really betting.

This AM I had the opportunity to run with Damon Kluck and he seems to be in great form. He and I cruised to an easy 1:23 training run on the Dirty Half course, dropping Andy Martin by 2 min. Let it be known that Andy hurt his foot last weekend, forcing him to take several days off. He blames me for his foot injury, but really I had nothing to do with it. Anyway, he has tried to make up the missed miles the past two days posting back to back 18 mile days. He was nonetheless a bit fatigued today and couldn't kick the last 2 miles with Damon and I. Regardless, I'm sure Kluck had some fun dropping him, I know I did. You just don't get that type of opportunity very often.

So, let the taper begin. Just some fine tuning over the next two weeks. I'm looking forward to the race and seeing what kind of times these guys are going to run.

Remembrance of a Fallen Competitor

As we are all trying to process the tragic news of Steve Larsen, I just want to pay my respect to Steve and his family. Steve was the ultimate competitor, an extremely gifted athlete with the heart of a champion. Steve always seemed to be amazingly fit despite his busy schedule as husband, father of five young children and business owner. I always wondered how he did it. To me, it displayed his commitment to excellence and discipline. Unfortunately I didn't know Steve on a more personal level aside from the pre and post race interactions, where he was always humble and cordial. I just assumed over time I would get to know Steve better, perhaps even train with him. Steve was the cream of the crop. His early passing is equally confusing as it is sad. I hope somewhere along the line his family can find peace. I can't even begin to imagine their pain. Please join my family in praying for Steve and his family.

Dirty Half, The ladies odds

Last year I ran in the Lithia Loop Marathon and Karl Meltzer threw out some pre-race odds as a fun way to hype the race. Stealing his idea, I thought it would be fun to lay some odds out for the 2009 Dirty Half Marathon. Keep in mind, this is with limited research and just for fun.

Women's Open

Unless there is an out of town runner that is fast enough to beat most of the guys in this year's field, once again a familiar name will likely be standing atop the podium. Like the men's race, this should come down to two runners, Lisa Nye and Katie Caba. I have a feeling the course record will be going down.

Lisa Nye: 2-1 Former US record holder in the women's steeple chase and course record holder of just about every local race, Nye is still at the top in Bend. From trustworthy sources, she is said to be training hard for the Dirty Half this year. Her 10k speed and hill climbing are on track as shown in her Larkspur Lollipop and Salmon Run 1st place finishes. If her training is on track for a finish time similar to last year, she should be in good shape for the win.

Katie Caba: 3-1 This is Katie's second season now without either being pregnant or nursing a baby and it seems to be showing. Her speed is back and her legs are feeling stronger. She has already shown her 5k speed as she cruised to the Light of Hope victory. The scary thing is, she feels stronger as the distance of her run lengthens. She is still likely a step behind Nye, but if I had a dollar...

The battle for 3rd place is where the women's race really heats up. It's an interesting mix of experienced Dirty Halfers, improved performers and newbies. That coveted third spot should keep them all focused.


Shannon Edwards: 7-2 Shannon is a relative unknown to the Bend running community. She might be hoping to come into the Dirty Half and surprise a few folk at the finish line...who was that fast runner from Yamhill anyway? Unfortunately for Shannon, she didn't escape my internet search. She is a former collegiate trackster and current member of the Eastside track club and has posted solid race times all the way from the 1,500m to the 1/2 marathon. She has the youth and speed to battle with the big two and should be at the front of the pack. But can she handle the single track?

Ahna Jura: 4-1 Ahna fits the categories of experience and improvement. Her second place Horse Butte finish this year shows her improvement and she is a veteran Dirty Halfer. Needless to say she is competitive. Just ask Megan Wrightman who has Ahna's footprint on her back after falling on the trail in front of her. Just kidding, Ahna politely helped her to her feet then threw down the hammer to finish her off. If Ahna continues to train as she has, she might find herself atop the Dirty Half podium for the first time.

Megan Wrightman: 4-1 While a veteran to running, Megan is a newbie to the Dirty Half. Fresh out of competitive cross country racing at Seattle Pacific University, Megan has brought her speed back home to Bend, and intends to put her mark on the Dirty Half. Megan has been witnessed pushing the pace at TPG and is a top 3 Horse Butte finisher showing she can maintain the speed over distance. Will it be enough to hold off the rest of the field?

Kristin Riley: 5-1 Kristen is a veteran Dirty Halfer and top 5 finisher from last year. She can throw it down with the best of them on any given day. She was a few steps off the pace of Jura and Wrightman at this year's Horse Butte, giving them the nod with the odds maker. I wouldn't count Riley out though as she is a proven competitor. Will she seek revenge?

Whitney Woods: 6-1 Whitney has both speed and endurance. She is capable of going sub 1:30 at the 1/2 marathon distance, but the Dirty Half is a whole new beast. I think Whitney will hang tough through mile 9. It's then any one's race. If she's feeling it, she just might throw down the hammer at that point and finish off the competition. I don't think the rest of them will let her off that easy though.

Jen Sventek: 7-1 We know what Jen will run. She apparently runs the same time each year. Consistency is her middle name. The question is, will it be enough on race day to grab that third podium spot? Crazier things have happened. One thing is for certain, Sventek will give it her all, and if you're unfortunate enough to be battling with her, look out.

Mary Primrose:8-1 Possibly the best speed of the group. Give her a 5k-10k and she'll fly. If she can keep her legs for the 1/2 marathon distance, she should place well.

Wildcards: Renee Scott, Amy Freeman- These gals are keeping a lid on their training and are trying to stay under the radar. Renee however, has been caught flying through interval workouts at TPG, but Amy so far has escaped the public eye. We'll just have to wait and see on race day.

Masters Women

Amy Peterson: 3-1 Assuming Amy is Amy, fast, fit and determined, she has to be the favorite in the masters division. She posted a solid 1:36 at the Dirty Half last year as a youthful 39 year old. Now that she is over the hill, can she keep the pace? If so, plan to see Amy wearing a new "masters" crown.

Laura Fritz: 4-1 Over my dead body says Fritz! This wolf in sheep's clothing won't let a newbie master like Peterson waltz in and claim victory without a fight. Fritz is always solid and was able to taste sweet victory last year on the winning Cascade Lakes Relay team. Once victory has been experienced, second place isn't so much fun. Look for Fritz to push Peterson to the end.
Chris Vergona: 5-1 Not quite as crazy as her husband, but rightfully crazy enough to be married to him. Chris is the sleeper in this race. She has been methodically putting in her speed work at TPG, but all under the guise of having fun. Ya right. This Aussie is out for victory. Look for that wicked leg speed she has been building to blast her down the hills. If she can keep from talking and laughing throughout the race, she could be your winner.

Nancy Abraham: 6-1 So what can a 52 year old really bring to the table? How about a 1:34:18 smoking fast half marathon! Scary thing is, you give her a lake and a bike and she'll beat you down even more. We'll see how this talented multi sport athlete takes to the challenging single track. Beware young masters to be educated by the master master.

Dirty Half: Setting the odds

Last year I ran in the Lithia Loop Marathon and Karl Meltzer threw out some pre-race odds as a fun way to hype the race. Stealing his idea, I thought it would be fun to lay some odds out for the 2009 Dirty Half Marathon. Keep in mind, this is with limited research and just for fun.

Male overall

This is essentially a two horse race between Andy Martin and Max King. Andy currently holds the course record of 1:13:37 (2007) and has every intention of breaking it this year. While he very well could PR, he has this part man/ part machine named Max King in the way of victory. Undoubtedly both will be fit come June 14, but overall, Max's impressive speed and technical running skills might just be too much for Martin to overcome. Don't count Andy out though as he has resolve and likes to own course records. All I have to say is, I wish I could watch this one play out, but unfortunately I'll be way behind them.

Max King: 3-2
Andy Martin: 2-1

"The others" will be racing for third place. Here the field is stacked with any one of several individuals capable of grabbing a place on the podium.

Steve Larsen: Godspeed Steve. Forever bib #1. You will be missed.

Damon Kluck: 7-2 Damon has come onto the running scene over the past few years. Last year he posted a sub 1:21 Dirty Half which was good enough for a top 6 finish. This year he has already ran a solid Horse Butte finishing second only to Martin. As a former professional cyclist, he has the drive to hang on to just about anyone and certainly has improved with his leg speed. He appears to have a lot of potential and who knows what he might throw down this year.

Jeff Caba: 7-2 Are there rules against having the same odds for 2 people? Well this isn't Vegas anyway. Caba should be in position to challenge Kluck and Larsen for the 3rd spot on the podium. Rumor is he's hired a coach who is pushing him to PR. If you plan to beat Caba, you will have to go Sub 1:18. Of course he is a year older and a bit slower, but he's been watching a lot of inspirational movies. As they say, on any given day...

Mike Condon: 4-1 He isn't currently on the official start list, but is rumored to be looking for a way into the race. If he toes the start line, he will be tough to beat. He was top dog at the Grin and Bear It and Larkspur Lollipop 10k's earlier this year. We'll see what he has left in the tank at half marathon distance.

Sean Meissner: 5-1 Sean has guaranteed a sub 1:20 this year. Well at least he told me that was his goal. He has run a monster off season with victories in the Redding Marathon and the Haleakala Run to the Sun Ultra. We know he's always in shape. If he puts his time in on the track building his leg speed, look for him to finish sub 1:20 and in contention for third place. Otherwise, he'll likely drop back to a 7-10th place finish.

Michael Dennis: 6-1 Primed from a fast 2:50 Eugene Marathon, Mr. Dennis should be as fit as he's ever been for the Dirty Half. Like Kluck, he carries huge potential. If he can hold on through the first 5 mile climb, he should be in good position to battle.

Ryan Rein: 7-1 Rein is well known around his home town of Mercer Island as The Hobbit. This name apparently has emerged due to his ginormous calves and bow legged shuffle. It is unclear if the Dirty Half will suit his hobbit style as this will be his inaugural race. He is a fast, strong runner and has put in weeks of training under the direction of Andy Martin. He will likely be the top non-local runner, but probably won't be able to hang with the Bendites. Ultimately his enormous oxygen consuming calves will anchor him down at the higher Central Oregon altitude. Look for a top 10 finish from Rein. Of note, this is my wife's (Katie Caba) brother. Ryan has been guaranteeing victory over us both. We'll see about that.

Mike Olsen: 8-1 Olsen blitzed the course last year with a 1:20:23, good enough for 4th place. He's been working hard this Spring and is now getting some miles under his legs. If he can put it together in time, he just might find himself in contention.

Jeff Browning: 10-1 If we were running the course twice, Browning might win the whole thing. This is essentially a sprint for him, his speed work if you will. He's always competitive and will likely be a top 10 finisher. If he's on and others aren't, he could sneak into the top 5.

Wildcard: Joe King- Joe has the potential of laying down a smoking fast time with a 1/2 marathon PR of 1:15 and change. He also has the intimidating last name of "King" that strikes fear in all of the Bend runners. The problem is, Joe has been lying low over the past couple years. Will he come out in 1:15 form, or is Joe..slow?

Men's Masters
This should also be a great race. These old guys can run. I didn't see Tim Vandervlugt/Funky Juniper on the start sheet so this race is up for grabs.

Brian Gingerich: 5-2 Brian is a solid low 1:20's runner. He comes to compete every time he toes the line. He has that attorney drive in him that gives him the edge over the field. (You know he read the small print on the entry form). Brian isn't going to hand over his master's crown. Someone is going to have to take it from him.

James Nelson: 3-1 If James' Achilles is back in full swing, watch out. This guy could challenge the youngsters. James is capable of throwing down a low 1:20 and just might do it if you provoke him. Beware of James extra gear that he only brings out when needed. If it comes down to the wire, James will likely take it.

JC Callans: 5-1 JC is another solid mid/upper 1:20's runner. What will it be that separates him from this very competitive group? Perhaps he has been secretly putting in a massive off season training regimen. Word is out and he is officially on the radar after his 2nd place finish in the Redding marathon this winter. Look out for JC to close fast and hard over the last 2 miles.

Joel Vergona: 6-1 Crazy Aussie. What else needs to be said? This guy could run a mid 1:20 off the couch. Trouble is, he has actually been training this year. If you want a dark horse, this is your guy. Don't let him fool you with his sarcasm. He's legit this year.

Brother's Widmer: 7-1 Pat has been looking good at Tuesday night speed workouts. Not certain how Mike's training is going, but Pat refers to him as the faster brother. If that is the case, look out. This dynamic duo just might decide to go 1-2.

Others: If Paul Parsons decides to run, he will be right at the top of the masters. Until his name shows up on the list though, I won't put official odds on him.

Over/Under
This year's over/under will be on whether Mr. Teague Hatfield can break 1:30:00. He continues to inch ever so close to the mark, last year finishing in 1:31:03. Where will he shave that last 63 seconds? Will the TPG workouts and strength training be enough? We'll see come June 14.

These are the current odds. As the race date approaches, there could be slight adjustments pending injuries, new entries etc. Your comments are welcome.

Women's odds to be posted soon!